Day 22: Squall Fever

Nurse(N): Doctor, Doctor, the patients are showing some signs of life
Doctor (D): Ja? You zink?
N: Ja, I mean yes, they are responding to a little music and are taking some fluids
D: Good, good, zo, they have suffered a trauma of post-ARC stress disorder
N: They have been squalled out for over a week, no sleep and on staysail for over 3 days?
D: Ja, it is the right dose for the level of squall fever zey have. Are zey delusional?
N: They mumble something about ‘got to get to Vegas’…
D: And zis morning zey took a little genoa?
N: For the first time. And there was some communication amongst them, a little nourishment was taken, they look squalid.

N: Doctor, Doctor, a patient is asking for a winch handle at all times? He is blubbing furl, unfurl, furl, unfurl over and over?
D: Zis is a serious defect zo ve vill refer it to the hydraulics, gears and motors consultant. How long since has he had the condition?
N: Since 200 miles out of Las Palmas.
D: Vy do zey have such latent onset of squall fever?
N: 30 minutes welding in Mindelo took 4 days!
D: Ja, ja zo ve vil insert a special Mindelo handicap clause in ze race calculation as zis is just not cricket.

N: Doctor, Doctor, all of them want a rum punch?
D: No I forbid it.
N: They say their COG and SOG is good and under 48 hours to run?
D: Ja, ja, ja zis is a known side effect of squall fever, too much bouncing, wild noise and surfing gives much wishful zinking. La la la.. Hysteria will follow ven TTG levels stabilise. In 36 hours we will know if it’s Elvis and Black Jack or Sorry Mac ve are closed….day turns to night, squalls gather
N: They say they reluctantly decided to play it safe and came off the genoa which was a 30 minute sail change and that has probably cost them Vegas. They are so looking forward to seeing their friends in the village.

Vital sadistics:
DTG 280nm with daytime arrival & Vegas hopes fading
Wind E over 30kn till 1300 dropping 24kn
On edge from 16.00 dodging squalls of up to 16nm long. Seastate disturbed.
Galley: Baked potato, Chicken Tikka Masalla with Pitta Bread
F&G Over the rail: two cabbages (here’s a tip, don’t buy a farm’s entire stock in Las Palmas)